‘You Can’t Be Perfect All The Time,’ Sara Cox Talks To M&B About Being A Mum

When we spoke to bubbly Sara Cox for the new issue of Mother&Baby, we found out how she juggles a busy radio DJ career along with being a mum of three kids. Someone give her a mum medal

Think back to Sara Cox in the 90s and you may remember paps of a bleary eyed 'Coxy' partying with pals like Zoe Ball. She carved her name for being that funny ladette off the TV you wanted on your night out. But fast forward 13 years and Sara’s party days are firmly behind her. She's now a successful radio DJ, married to advertising exec Ben Cyzer, mum-of-three to Lola, nine, Isaac, five, and Renee, three – and doing it all with as much gusto as downing pints. Her secret? Taking the pressure out of being a perfect mum.

Having friends with babies helps you through it

For the first year I just found my own way through parenting. It’s helpful if you’ve got friends having babies at the same time. I’ve got a really good friend called Anna who I used to party with and then we both got pregnant at the same time. She had her little girl Nico exactly a week before Lola. So it was really cool because we went through our first pregnancies together so it was nice, instead of suddenly plunging yourself into a whole new group of friends at an NCT group.

I’ve learnt not to be too hard on myself

You can’t be perfect all the time with parenting. I apologise to my kids if I tell them off or if I’m in a massive grump and take it out on them. I won’t weep and beg for their forgiveness, which will freak them out. But if I feel I’ve been off hand I just tell the kids I’m tired, it’s only fair. You just got to give yourself a break really, do your best and hope you don’t mess them up too much.

I’d love my kids to grow up to be friends

While I encourage their talents, personality wise I want Renee, Lola and Renee to care, be nice to people, be compassionate and look after each other. Of course, I hope they’re friends when they’re older, that would be nice.

Childcare can get complicated

Renee does a couple of days at nursery and I’ve got a part time nanny, but because I’m freelance I never know when I’ll be working so it can get complicated. It takes a lot of organising, luckily, my partner Ben’s mum has been really helpful, especially if I have to work last minute. Generally, I’m in an equal relationship with my husband, but I do tend to be the organiser of the kids.

Ben and I respect each other’s space

I try and be respectful of when Ben’s working, if we’ve both been at work, you’ve got to be careful that it doesn’t become a competition of who’s the most tried. He’s pretty helpful, he’ll come in and get stuck in. Sometimes he’ll take over bath time or come in and do the stories and I’ll do the dinner. I try not to text him saying ‘Where are you?! ‘These kids are driving me mental!’ no one wants to walk into a ‘stressy’ atmosphere.

To find out more from Sara, read the full interview in the latest issue of M&B out now.

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